The annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is the largest gathering in the world of clinical and basic scientists working in the renal field. Prior to each annual meeting the ASN sponsors an intensive basic science symposium whose topic, selected by the ASN's Basic Science Committee, reflects an area of investigation with major advances that impact the renal field. The conference is intended to foster new collaborations and promote applications of new technologies for studying the kidney. The 2010 symposium (to be held in Denver November 16-17, 2010) is entitled "The Cytoskeleton and Cell Motility". The symposium will feature 23 established investigators, most of them from outside the field of nephrology, who will speak on diverse aspects of the cytoskeleton and its role in cell migration, morphogenesis, and disease. The topics covered will include actin, myosin, microtubules, cilia, and associated proteins, structures, and signaling pathways. The cytoskeleton has been shown to play important roles in diverse aspects of kidney development and function. These include roles in podocytes and their slit diaphragms, in cilia structure and function, and in recovery from acute kidney injury. At this conference, ASN members and other interested participants will have the chance to interact with world leaders in the field and will be exposed to state-of-the-art research. The purpose of this grant application is to request funds for junior faculty, postdoctoral fellow, and graduate student travel awards so that members can attend this conference prior to the ASN annual meeting in Denver. ) PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The goal of this annual conference is to update Renal Community researchers in a field that is instrumental to advancing our understanding of kidney function and/or disease. The focus of this year's conference is the cytoskeleton and cell motility. As usual, the majority of the speakers for the two day conference are top scientists from outside the Renal Community, who were selected for their scientific contributions in their respective fields. In the past, conference participants have developed collaborative relationships with some of the speakers, which greatly facilitate advancing kidney research and the potential to develop therapies that can improve the health of the population.